The present invention relates to processes for catalytically reducing and/or transforming organic carbonyl compounds.
Methods currently are known for the catalytic reduction of organic carbonyls. Many such reduction reactions, such as those involving esters, ketones and amides, utilize lithium aluminum hydride or related species as a reducing reagent. Such reagents are quite pyrophoric and can ignite spontaneously upon contact with air or water. Moreover, lithium aluminum hydride typically is dispensed in a volatile liquid such as ether, thus compounding safety concerns. Aside from potential safety issues which surround the use of reducing reagents such as lithium aluminum hydride, their use can be costly as these compounds must be used in stoichiometric rather than catalytic quantities. A further disadvantage of reactions which use lithium aluminum hydride as a reducing agent is that they yield an aluminum salt as a by-product, from which the desired end product is often difficult to isolate.
Reactions which reduce organic carbonyls, such as esters, ketones and amides, often are commercially quite significant, as they can be used in the large scale preparation of pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. Thus, the safety and economy of the reduction reactions are important considerations. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide safer and more economical processes for reducing organic carbonyl compounds.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a safer and more economical process for reducing organic carbonyl compounds such as esters, ketones and amides. Another object is to provide such a reaction where the end product of the reaction is effectively and conveniently isolated. Other objects will be apparent upon reading the disclosure which follows.